McGuffey won a PIAA playoff game for the first time in school history last Saturday.

It's reward?

A date with the WPIAL champs.

For the second time this postseason, McGuffey (19-6) will take on New Castle (24-2) in a Class 4A second-round game Thursday at Ambridge at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to play the winner of Middletown and Johnstown in Saturday's' quarterfinals.

McGuffey will need to play much better than it had in the first meeting if it is to give New Castle a game. The Red Hurricane stormed to a 73-40 win against McGuffey in the WPIAL quarterfinals. McGuffey played New Castle tight for a half, as the Highlanders trailed just 27-25 at the break. But New Castle went on one of its customary big runs in the third quarter, outscoring the Highlanders, 27-3, to take a commanding 26-point lead into the final quarter. Marcus Hooker scored 26 points and Geno Stone added 18 for New Castle, while Trent Belleville paced McGuffey with 19.

McGuffey faced Valley in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs Class 4A competition at Baldwin High School, Wednesday, February 22. The game went into overtime so you know it was a good one, McGuffey being the victory by a score of 50-48. This is McGuffey's first WPIAL playoff win in school history.

McGuffey has had little success in boys basketball over the years, but the Highlanders are having a terrific season and find themselves somewhere whey they have rarely ever been.

The WPIAL playoffs.

McGuffey (17-5) will make just its third postseason appearance when it plays Valley (11-11) in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round game Wednesday at Baldwin. The Highlanders also advanced to the playoffs in 2002 and 2012, but were bounced in their opener both times. So, a win against Valley would be the first in program history.

You have to like McGuffey's chances in this game, too. The Highlanders finished in a three-way tie for second place in Section 3 and have won six of their last nine games. Valley, the third-place finisher in Section 1, lost six of its final nine regular-season games.